- 79% of Zambians reported they were targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud from August to December 2024 but did not become a victim
- Smishing, phishing, vishing and social engineering scams were the most frequently cited methods consumers said fraudsters used to trick them
- In 2024 and 2023, retail had the highest suspected attempted digital fraud attempt rate in Zambia
Seventy-nine percent of Zambians TransUnion surveyed from 21 November to 11 December 2024 indicated that they had been targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last three months with 9% saying that they had become victims in the last three months. Among those who said they were targeted, the most reported schemes were smishing where fraudulent text messages attempt to trick users into revealing data (35%), phishing where fraudulent emails, websites, social posts or QR codes attempt to steal data (32%), vishing where fraudulent phone calls induce users to reveal information (26%) and social engineering scams where fraudsters try to persuade people to give them personal information (26%).
In a separate question in the same survey, more than one third (36%) said that they had lost money to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last year. Nearly three in ten (27%) of Zambians who said they lost money reported it happening from third-party seller scams on legitimate retail websites. This was followed by 24% who had lost money in money mule scams where users are solicited to transfer illegally acquired money and 19% who lost money in social engineering scams where someone is persuaded to give up personal information or money.
These and other findings came from research used for building the recently released TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) H1 2025 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report, which shows how Zambian consumers continue to be targeted by fraudsters through a wide range of channels.
“Zambians use mobile phones to conduct their everyday business, connect with friends, or send and receive money, so it’s easy to understand why smishing would be such a common fraud tactic among fraudsters targeting this region,” said Amritha Reddy, senior director of fraud solutions at TransUnion Africa. “While cybercriminals will attack at any time using any channel, they appear to focus on channels most popular in the regions they are targeting.”
More than one fifth (21%) of Zambian respondents indicated that they were not aware of being targeted by email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud at all, which raises questions as to whether these respondents were in fact targeted yet were simply unaware of the threat.
Based on the TransUnion study, Zambia had the lowest percentage of respondents among countries surveyed in Africa who said they fell victim to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the second half of 2024. In contrast, South Africa had the highest percentage of consumers who said they fell victim to fraud among the countries surveyed across the continent.
Table 1: Fraud Types Most Frequently Used to Target Consumers in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Last Three Months
| Country | Targeted and fell victim | Targeted but didn’t fall victim | Not targeted | Most reported fraud scheme |
| South Africa | 13% | 55% | 31% | Phishing |
| Kenya | 11% | 71% | 19% | Smishing |
| Namibia | 11% | 52% | 37% | Vishing |
| Rwanda | 10% | 57% | 33% | Money mule |
| Zambia | 9% | 70% | 21% | Smishing |
Source: TransUnion Consumer Pulse Survey of 411 people in Zambia in December 2024
Communities and Video Gaming Among Top Industries Targeted by Suspected Digital Fraud
Globally, TransUnion determined that communities (online forums and dating sites) experienced the highest rate of suspected digital fraud attempts in 2024. Nearly 12% of all attempted transactions within communities were suspected to be digital fraud last year. This is closely followed by video gaming (11%), with gaming (including online betting, poker, etc.) at 8% and retail (8%) rounding out the top four.
The logistics industry, which has seen growth in shipping fraud (often perpetrated by organized crime rings), saw the greatest suspected digital fraud volume growth globally in 2024, up more than 100% over 2023. The fraud rate remains at a relatively modest 3%. Gaming also saw a significant year-over-year (YoY) volume change, up 20%. Telecommunications (-79%), insurance (-29%) and video gaming (-23%) saw the greatest decreases in suspected digital fraud volume YoY.
“Digital fraud on community platforms is by no means a new phenomenon. In 2024, it appears that fraudsters targeted these areas with a renewed vigour,” said Reddy. “Cybercriminals take advantage of the trust inherent on community-based platforms, and target members with a wide range of scammer solicitations, the most reported type of digital fraud in communities.”
For attempted transactions where the consumer or fraudster was located in Zambia, retail experienced the highest suspected digital fraud attempt rate in 2024 at 6.8% with a 15.4% increase in the volume of suspected digital fraud from 2023. The biggest increase in suspected digital fraud attempts was in insurance which increased 311.1% YoY.
“It is encouraging to see that attempts at digital fraud have decreased across all but three of the surveyed industries in Zambia,” Reddy says. “Organisations that draw on identity, device and behavioural insights to help them interact with legitimate consumers while mitigating fraud risk are more likely to protect themselves and their customers from the scourge of digital fraud.”
Table 2: Highest Digital Fraud Rates Across Leading Industries in Zambia
| Industry | Suspected digital fraud attempt rate 2024 | Change in volume of suspected digital fraud attempts from 2023 to 2024 |
| Retail | 6.8% | 15.4% |
| Insurance | 5.6% | 311.1% |
| Logistics | 5.4% | -67.7% |
| Financial services | 4.6% | -42.7% |
| Gaming (online sports betting, poker etc) | 2.3% | -38.4% |
| Communities | 1.3% | 1.4% |
| Telecommunications | 1.2% | -90.0% |
| Travel & leisure | 0.1% | -11.3% |
Source: TransUnion TruValidate™
Digital Fraud Comes with a Heavy Cost to Consumers
Consumers faced significant losses due to fraud. Among consumers TransUnion surveyed in 18 countries and regions in November and December 2024, 29% said they lost money due to email, online, phone call or text messaging fraud in the last year. The survey determined that the median amount those consumers said they lost due to fraud in the past year was ZK48,787. For those who said they lost money due to fraud in Zambia, the median stated amount lost was ZK6,479.
TransUnion came to its conclusions about digital fraud based on intelligence from TransUnion TruValidate.
Specific country and regional data in the report includes Zambia, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Hong Kong, India, Kenya Mexico, Namibia, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Spain, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Download the TransUnion H1 2025 Update to the State of Omnichannel Fraud Report for more information and insights about the global fraud trends.
About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)
TransUnion is a global information and insights company with over 13,000 associates operating in more than 30 countries, including Zambia. We make trust possible by ensuring each person is reliably represented in the marketplace. We do this by providing an actionable view of consumers, stewarded with care. TransUnion is the only company in Africa’s IT industry that manages multiple complex databases containing insurance, cellular, consumer, commercial, and auto data assets.
Through our acquisitions and technology investments, we have developed innovative solutions that extend beyond our strong foundation in core credit into areas such as marketing, fraud, risk, and advanced analytics. As a result, consumers and businesses can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good®—and it leads to economic opportunity, great experiences, and personal empowerment for millions.
For more information visit https://www.transunionafrica.com/
